Movie · 2007 · Thriller, Action, Horror · 3h 11m · R · English
Curator score: 6.8/10 (289.2K ratings)
A double feature that'll tear you in two!
Overview
Grindhouse combines Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, a horror comedy about a group of survivors who battle zombie-like creatures, and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, an action thriller about a murderous stuntman who kills young women with modified vehicles. It is presented as a double feature with fictitious exploitation trailers preceding each segment.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.8/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.69/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Metacritic: 77
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino
Production
Yer Dead, Dimension Films, Big Talk Studios, Eyetronics, Rodriguez International Pictures, Troublemaker Studios
Cast
Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Zoë Bell, Freddy Rodríguez, Rosario Dawson, Marley Shelton, Vanessa Ferlito, Josh Brolin, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Jeff Fahey, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Biehn, Tracie Thoms, Jordan Ladd, Bruce Willis, Quentin Tarantino, Marcy Harriell, Eli Roth, Omar Doom, Michael Bacall
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, shameless love letter to exploitation cinema that works best as a midnight-movie event. The two halves are uneven, but the fake trailers, practical effects, and grindhouse attitude make it a uniquely playful watch for genre fans.
Best for
fans of retro horror and action
viewers who enjoy anthology-style double features
people who like practical effects and B-movie excess
midnight movie audiences
fans of Tarantino or Rodriguez
Skip if
you want a tight, polished narrative
you dislike self-aware homage
you are turned off by gore, sleaze, or misogynistic-era genre tropes
you prefer one consistent tone throughout
you want a modern horror film with contemporary sensibilities
Overview
Grindhouse is less a single movie than a revival act: two directors raiding the trashy, ecstatic language of 1970s exploitation cinema and turning it into a theatrical dare. The fake trailers, damaged-film presentation, and overcooked genre riffs are all part of the joke, but also part of the pleasure. It wants you to feel like you’ve stumbled into a sticky late-night screening where anything might happen.
Worth noting
Planet Terror is the rowdier half, a splattery zombie romp that leans into absurdity, gore, and comic-book momentum. Death Proof is more patient and talky, then suddenly becomes one of the great car-chase movies of its era. Together they create a lopsided but memorable double feature, with enough invention and attitude to make the whole experiment feel bigger than the sum of its parts.
Bottom line
It’s not for everyone, and some of the sleaze and posturing have aged better than others. But if you miss movies that feel unruly, handmade, and a little dangerous, this is exactly the kind of cinematic mess worth celebrating.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Bryan Espitia (5★) · 775 likes
Ya know, I don't ask for much in this world. But it's been 8 years and there's still no sequel. I like to imagine an alternate reality where this was a massive box office success and we got a new Grindhouse double feature every year. Alas, it was not meant to be.
I would be happy with just one sequel. Just one. Preferably with Nicolas Cage returning as Fu Manchu.
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (4★) · 351 likes
they just don’t make em like this anymore 😔
LinusMxx (4★) · 252 likes
grind housenoun: an often shabby movie theater that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter and exploitation films for adults.
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse is a double-feature film that recalls both filmmakers' favorite exploitation films. It comprised two individual films helmed separately by each director: Planet Terror and Death Proof. The films are joined together by five clever fake trailers that recall the 60s and 70s exploitation drive-in classics.
I reviewed the two films separately (go to the… more
Bryan Espitia (5★) · 222 likes
The perfect midnight movie experience, two film nerds getting their friends together and recreating all the B-movie junk they grew up with, absolutely love this. Cherry’s leg gun is still iconic.
1974 · Horror · 1h 23m · R · Curator 7.2/10 (937.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
Essential grindhouse-era horror: raw, grimy, and deeply influential on the whole aesthetic.